I'm not a food critique, just a food lover and shares the joy with others out there....Please do note that taste is a matter of individual opinion and can differ from one to another. All views expressed here are purely based on my taste buds and preferences......

Monday, 10 August 2015

Tg. Malim Char Kuey Teow & Claypot Asam Pedas @ Tanjung Malim, Perak

This restaurant called Tg. Malim Char Kuey Teow & Claypot Asam Pedas is one extremely famous restaurant that is located in Taman Wangsa Jaya, Tanjung Malim. Many from out of town come searching for this place mainly for their Malay style Char Kuey Teow whereby these guys have quite a range including Char Kuey Teow Ketam and Char Kueh Teow Udang Galah. I have been here before, sometime in January this year and that was about the time that they had first started and I was very impressed with their Char Kuey Teow and Nasi Lemak. Should you like to read more about my last visit, please click on this link: http://venoth.blogspot.com/2015/01/tg-malim-char-kuey-teow-tanjung-malim.html . This time around, I decided to try their Asam Pedas instead. These guys have been boasting that their Asam Pedas is the best in town and being a fan of Asam Pedas, it's a must try for me.

The Restaurant Located In Taman Wangsa Jaya

Mainly Outdoor Seating

Tables On The Road

Goes On Till A Few Doors Away

I was here quite early and that was around 6.45 pm. It was the time that they too had just opened and were preparing the dishes. Having had no crowd, I managed to take quite a number of photographs of this place. There is no indoor seating here, just a few tables and I hardly see anyone sitting there. Most people prefer the outdoor seats and as such, the tables are lined up till a few doors away on both sides. Being the first to arrive for the day, I received immediate attention. I then asked what kind of fish they had for their Asam Pedas and to which the girl mentioned Ikan Pari, Ikan Kembung and Ikan Bawal. Pari was the cheapest in that range and that was priced at RM 13.00 per set. Coincidentally, stingray is my favourite too. I asked her if the portion would be big as I felt that the price was on the high side but she mentioned that it's just two small cuts of stingray. Having been convinced, I went ahead with the orders.

Asam Pedas Ikan Pari @ RM 13.00

Asam Pedas Ikan Pari @ RM 13.00

Two Very Small Cuts Of Stingray

One Lady's Finger

Claypot Of Oil

As they were still preparing most of the dishes, it took them approximately 20 minutes to get the dish ready. Once it was sent over, I was in a complete shock. It was a large claypot with a portion of gravy that was good for two or even three. In it, there was two very small cuts of stingray ( which would not be even sufficient for me), half a tomato, one Lady's Finger and a pot full of oil. It wouldn't be an overstatement if I said that this was the worst Asam Pedas that I had ever tasted and how dare these guys claim this to be the best in town. It was horrible! There was neither 'Asam' nor 'Pedas' in the dish. All there was was some boiling oil that was tasteless. And the best part was when the girl asked me if I wanted some rice. That was my second shock. How do you expect me to eat this pot of oil without rice. At least do me a favour and get me some rice to at least eat with the stingray. This was the worst RM 13.00 spent and I truly regretted that. I would only rate this at 1/10 .

Rice Set

Having seen the reaction on my face, she immediately ran over and brought me this rice set. Fortunately, this came with half a Salted Egg, some sauteed cabbage and some spicy Sambal.

Sauteed Cabbage

Sauteed Cabbage

Though simple looking, this tasted pretty good and it tasted way better than the wasted Asam Pedas. Fortunately, they had provided these and I would rate this at 8/10 .

Salted Egg

Salted Egg

Thank God that this was provided. It made my day! I just love Salted Eggs and having a gravy that's so bland tasting, this was indeed a savior that added some taste to every scoop of rice that I had.

Sambal Belacan

Sambal Belacan

Another excellent one! A tiny drop of this and it was a blast of chili. Loved this and I would rate this at 9.5/10 . This along with the Salted Eggs were what made dinner even possible.

In summary, this Asam Pedas is a big time failure and I wonder how they have the guts to claim this as the best in town. I would never ever recommend this to anyone. However, I would strongly recommend their Nasi Lemak and Char Kuey Teow as I have tasted them myself in the past and have found them to be very good.